New important thread.

Explored: Rockefeller communique on #contacttracing, Verified (UN) guide on #vaccine #communications, insights via #vaccine Confidence Project, & a Behavioral Insights report. Today> special report from Oct 15 2020 meeting, #WHO, Technical Advisory Group.
"On 15 Oct 2020, the WHO Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Behavioural Insights & Sciences for Health held a special meeting w/ the WHO Department of Immunization, Vaccines & Biologicals to discuss behavioural considerations in relation to COVID-19 #vaccine #acceptance & uptake."
The report was developed by members of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Behav. Insights & Sciences for Health, chaired by Cass Sunstein, largely credited w/ developing/popularizing notion of "nudges" as policy tools.

Technical Advisory Group members:

https://www.who.int/our-work/science-division/behavioural-insights/TAG-on-behavioural-insights-and-sciences-for-health-biographies">https://www.who.int/our-work/...
Nudge theory: "concept in behavioral econ., political theory, & the broader behav. sciences purporting positive reinforce., defaults, indirect suggestions, [] still allowing freedom of choice, [] that can influence behavior & decision making, esp. aimed at issues of #compliance."
"The discussion focused on a series of key questions around achieving high & equitable uptake of vaccines through evidence-based & behaviourally informed strategies...The review process was finalized on 15 November 2020."

Sunstein tags #WHO, #BIT & 7 others:
Pavan Mamidi: Leads #India& #39;s top behavioural research & advisory centre, Centre for Social & Behavior Change, arm of Ashoka Univ.

"Funded generously" by #Gates Foundation, CSBC is also actively engaged in working w/ various govt& #39;s in India setting up behavioural & nudge units.
"Meet Brian Deese, #Biden& #39;s pick to lead the National Economic Council, who has worked for both the Obama admin. & #BlackRock... some progressives have expressed concerns about Deese& #39;s current role at BlackRock, the world& #39;s largest #investment manager" [Business Insider]
Gene Sperling: national economic advisor to Presidents Obama & Clinton; founder & Director of the Center for Universal Education at the #Council on #Foreign #Relations. #Biden economic adviser.

#behaviouralscience #VaccineUptake

https://live.worldbank.org/experts/gene-b-sperling">https://live.worldbank.org/experts/g...
Liam Delaney: Head of Department for Psychological & Behavioural Science at #LSE.

Michael Ryan: w/ #WHO since 1996. Exec. Dir. WHO Health Emergencies Programme; former Assistant Director-Gen. for Emerg. Preparedness & Response in #WHO& #39;s Health Emergencies Programme (2017-2019).
#Gates Foundation, Aug 13, 2019: "Cass Sunstein talks about the benefits of behavioral economics & how #India can achieve greater public policy outcomes through nudge units."

#India & #Africa are prime targets for SDGs which must be understood/recognized as #emergingmarkets.
Over & over, in this consolidation of power happening in real time, are the fingerprint$ of #Gates. The Mind, Behavior, & Development Unit (eMBeD),is the World Bank& #39;s behavioral sciences team. It works closely w/ the Bill & Melinda Gates Found. & The Behavioural Insights Team.
Behavioural drivers: "...efforts have resulted in a better understanding of the barriers & enablers to vaccination – especially, but not only, for #child vaccination. Research efforts have also generated potentially effective strategies to improve vaccine #acceptance & uptake..."
"While evidence on promoting vaccination in general is useful in the context of the current pandemic, the #acceptance & #uptake of #COVID19 #vaccines present an #unprecedented challenge." [p. 2]
THIS> "In addition to the sheer magnitude of the coming vaccination effort, the vaccines will be new & are #likely to be only #partially effective for a yet #unknown period of time. There may be so-called #adverse #events rightly or incorrectly attributed to the new vaccines,..."
"...vaccines are likely to be prioritized for #healthworkers
[]& #older #adults based on the framework developed by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on #Immunization" [p 2]

#UNICEF, secretariat of #GAVI & #WHO participate as observers in #SAGE meetings/deliberations.
"...goal is uptake of #COVID19 vaccine by the general population, achieving that #goal will depend on the behaviours of other "actors" in the system...

& those tasked w/ maximizing uptake using strategies such as #persuasion & the use of #trusted #endorsers (or " #validators")."
Recognize those that can instill uptake via #persuasion & #influence: politicians, community & #religious leaders, health workers, #NGOs, #media & digital platforms.

Reduce barriers.
THIS>>>

On reducing barriers, the last factor listed on p. 3 is key:

"Health regulations or #mandates: Is #vaccination #mandatory to engage in certain activities, such as #employment, #education, #travelling abroad or enrolling in day care?"

#Coercion as weapon for #compliance
"...if #most #people in a community support vaccination, they will give a positive signal to others who might otherwise be reluctant..." [p 4]

The Asch experiments demonstrated the power of #conformity (which can be, & is, used as a weapon against us) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRh5qy09nNw">https://www.youtube.com/watch...
>>"During a pandemic in which people may be confined [], #perceptions of other people’s behaviours ([]mask wearing & physical distancing) are more likely to be inferred from #mainstream & #socialmedia & via information online, & less likely to result from direct interactions."<<
"It is essential to #educate the #media on the importance of providing context when reporting on anti-vaccine #sentiment, to make sure that people do not form an erroneous impression that this is the dominant viewpoint." [p 5]

This screenshot is from the #UN Verified guide.
"...encouragement & #social #pressure from people that an individual respects and trusts have been found to increase vaccine uptake... #Targeting #people who are #centrally located in the #network [] can lead to greater impact of behaviour change efforts."
"Strategies to #harness social influences"

"Making vaccine uptake “visible” to others... enabling ways for people to #signal that they have received the vaccine, either on #socialmedia, in news #media or in person, can contribute to making the #socialnorm more salient." [p 5]
New & #emergingmarkets. #Biotech
"New & emerging norms"

"Communication efforts to highlight the developm. of new norms are especially relevant given that the #COVID19 #vaccine will be #targeting #new #groups where vaccination may not be the common or the expected behaviour."
"... #motivational #interviewing, a collaborative method of interaction aimed at exploring people’s real reasons for hesitancy & strengthening their own #motivation for change, can #facilitate #vaccination..."
"Recommendations from providers have [] shown to be more effective when the opportunity to get vaccinated is presented as an #expectation (the default) rather than an option..."

#Endorsement of a [] #vaccine by prominent #scientists has also been found to increase #trust..."
"If people perceive that they are at low risk of contracting #COVID19, or that the consequences of becoming infected will not be severe, they will be less willing to get vaccinated."

Thus, the incessant #hysteria & #fear instilled by #media - will not be relenting anytime soon.
The nerve of thinking people:

"Some people may try to compare the #risk of getting infected with that of taking a new vaccine, and determine that between the two, the #risk of #COVID19 is #lower."

[p 6] [Good rule: Think for yourself, act for others.]
"Judging events or situations to be risky can also lead to fear, worry & #anticipated #regret, all of which have been shown to be associated w/ the intention to #accept the offer of vaccination"

"anticipated regret" - "shows promise as predictor of intentions & behaviour"
To obtain desired outcome, they must control the #narrative

"...confidence may be lowered by scepticism about the profit motives... Developing trusted sources, factchecking & responding to disinfo. through dedicated dashboards are some of the strategies [] to manage infodemics"
> #NewNormal: "Vaccine acceptance & uptake may also be undermined by COVID-19 #vaccines being not fully effective, meaning that people will have to continue to engage in preventive behaviour (e.g. #maskwearing and physical #distancing) even if and after they have been vaccinated."
"It is therefore important to focus on building trust in #COVID19 vaccines before people form an opinion against them. This should involve using trusted messengers..."

"Adverse #events are often #inevitable when large numbers of people get vaccinated in a short period of time.."
"Leveraging anticipated regret in communications:

#Anticipated #regret has been shown to be a strong predictor of vaccination, and there is #potential #promise in evoking it to encourage vaccination."

#Emotion #Guilt #Parenting
"putting emphasis on the economic benefits, such as being able to #stay in the #workforce and #provide for one’s #family, might also encourage vaccination." [p 8]

#Coercion #Duress
Visual narrations "that captures highlights of the meeting on 15 Oct 2020, during which the TAG on #Behavioural Insights & #Sciences for Health discussed behavioural considerations in relation to COVID-19 #vaccine #acceptance & #uptake."

Report: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/337335/9789240016927-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">https://apps.who.int/iris/bits...
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